Model School Library Standards for California Public Schools,

Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve

Adopted by the State Board of Education, September 16, 2010

The State Board of Education (SBE) adopted the Model School Library Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (Library Standards) under the authority of California Education Code Section 18101, which requires the SBE to “adopt standards, rules and regulations for school library services.” The Library Standards include two types of standards:

  • “School Library Standards for Students” that delineate what students should know and be able to do at each grade level or grade span to enable students to succeed in school, higher education, and the workforce.
  • “School Library Program Standards” that describe base-level staffing, resources and infrastructure, including technology, required for school library programs to be effective and help students to meet the school library standards.

The Library Standards recognize that school libraries have evolved from simply providing print materials to offering rich selections of print, media, and digital resources; from teaching students how to search a card catalog to teaching students strategies for searching a variety of print, media and digital resources; from teaching basic reading literacy to teaching information literacy (the ability to access, evaluate, use, and integrate information and ideas effectively).The student standards also include the legal, ethical and safe use of information both in print and online, other aspects of cyber safety, and use of technology.

The “School Library Standards for Students” are organized around four concepts:

  1. Students access information
  2. Students evaluate information
  3. Students use information
  4. Students integrate information literacy skills into all areas of learning

Each concept is followed by three to four overarching standards that continue across all grade levels and form the basis for detailed standards at each grade level or grade span. The detailed standards increase in complexity through the grades. For example:

Overarching standard 3.1 states that the student will “demonstrate ethical, legal and safe use of information in print, media and online resources.” Here are examples ofdetailed grade level standards:

Grade 13.1.b Understand that the Internet connects the user to the rest of

the world.

Grade 23.1.c Demonstrate basic knowledge of the district or school’s

acceptable use policy.

Grade 33.1.a Define cyberbullying and its effects.

Grade 53.1.a Record bibliographic information in an acceptable format.

Grade 7-83.1.aExplain ethical and legal issues related to the use of

intellectual property including print, visual, audio, and online materials (e.g., fair use, file sharing).

Grade 9-123.1.b Understand the differences between quoting, summarizing,

and paraphrasing and apply these skills to own work.

The Library Standards are not stand-alone standards taught in isolation but are meant to be taught collaboratively by the classroom teacher and the teacher librarian in the context of the curriculum.

Organization of the Standards

This is an overview including the overarching standards under the four concepts.

1.Students access information

The student will access information by applying knowledge of the organization of libraries, print materials, digital media, and other sources.

1.1Recognize the need for information.

1.2Formulate appropriate questions.

1.3Identify and locate a variety of resources online and in other formats by using effective search strategies.

1.4Retrieve information in a timely, safe, and responsible manner.

2.Students evaluate information

The student will evaluate and analyze information to determine what is appropriate to address the scope of inquiry.

2.1Determine the relevance of the information.

2.2Assess the comprehensiveness, currency, credibility, authority, and accuracy of resources.

2.3Consider the need for additional information.

3.Students use information

The student will organize, synthesize, create, and communicate information.

3.1Demonstrate ethical, legal, and safe use of information in print, media, and digital resources.

3.2Draw conclusions and make informed decisions.

3.3Use information and technology creatively to answer a question, solve a problem, or enrich understanding.

4.Students integrate informationliteracy skills into all areas of learning

The student will independently pursue information to become a lifelong learner.

4.1Read widely and use various media for information, personal interest, and

lifelong learning.

4.2Seek, produce, and share information.

4.3 Appreciate and respond to creative expressions of information.

© California Department of Education, March 29, 2011

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